MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
A long-running local fundraiser supporting education and humanitarian work in Haiti returns this weekend, with two days of meals, music and a large benefit auction planned at the Pleasant View Activity Center.
The Share Haiti Benefit Auction and Dinner begins Friday evening and continues through Saturday, raising funds for a mission school and community outreach in southern Haiti, several hours away from Port-au-Prince. Organizers Abner Schmucker and Dale Lehman say the mission has seen growing need in recent years as families flee violence and unrest in the capital region.
Share Haiti operates a school in the community of Cote Fer, providing education for children from age three through seventh grade, with plans to add an eighth-grade class next year. The school currently serves about 470 students and employs roughly 70 staff members, including teachers and classroom helpers.
Organizers say education is central to the mission’s work.
“Education gives these children a much better opportunity in life,” Schmucker said. “This school has become one of the premier schools in the area because of its values, quality instruction, and care for students.”
In addition to academics, the mission provides daily hot meals for students—often the only hot meal they receive each day—and offers assistance to families in the surrounding community who come to the mission with urgent needs.
Weekend schedule
The fundraiser begins Friday at 4:30 p.m. with an authentic Haitian dinner featuring chicken, rice and beans. A singing group from the Moundridge area will perform later in the evening. The meal is donation-based, with dine-in and carry-out options available.
Events continue Saturday morning starting at 7 a.m. with a waffle and sausage breakfast, served until 10 a.m. The benefit auction begins at 9 a.m., overlapping with breakfast service, and continues through the morning. Lunch will also be available, allowing attendees to spend the day at the event.
Auction highlights
The auction features a wide range of donated items, including fishing trips, gift certificates, farm and lawn-care services, tools, handmade pottery, hay, baked goods and agricultural equipment.
One of the top items is a site-built building, constructed with donated materials and labor from local businesses and churches. The structure will be a high-quality, stick-built building, with concrete included. The winning bidder is responsible for site preparation, utilities and excavation.
Cedar Crest Amish Mennonite Church and Prairie Chapel Mennonite Church coordinate much of the fundraising and logistics, with additional support from other area churches.
Organizers emphasize that all proceeds directly support the mission’s educational and humanitarian efforts in Haiti.
“The need continues to grow, but so does the impact,” Lehman said. “This is a chance for the community to come together and make a real difference.”
The Share Haiti Benefit Auction and Dinner is open to the public and will be held at the Pleasant View Activity Center, located south of Stutzman’s on Dean Road.